What the Safari offers, in quantity, is room, more of it than any other minivan you can buy. Even though ABS won’t reduce stopping distances on dry pavement, it definitely helps maintain control in sudden stops on low-traction surfaces. GM deserves plenty of credit for this latter feature, a Safari standard since 1993. Neat.īesides its extra length, the ’95 Safari includes more standard features such as air conditioning, an AM/FM radio, a driver’s airbag and 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS). The Dutch door has three sections: a glass upper hatch that swings up, with two half-doors below.

That’s good for access, but the rear window frames join to create a central pillar that interferes with rearward vision when the doors are closed. The standard Safari doors are vertical, opening outward from the middle. Higher trim levels also have flush-mounted aero-style headlamps, though the basic Safari continues with traditional sealed beams.Ī nifty feature that’s carried over into the ’95 models is the optional Dutch door at the rear of the van. There’s a new grille, new fenders, some detail changes along the sides, and a spoiler below the front bumper. It’s expensive, but it does offer greatly enhanced traction on slippery surfaces, which makes it worth considering if you live in a cold-weather climate.įunctional changes to the powertrain include reduced engine noise, better low-end torque for more pulling power, transmission refinements for smoother shifting, and revisions to the power steering to make the Safari easier to maneuver.Īs we mentioned, the front end has been restyled for 1995. The only major powertrain option is a full-time all-wheel-drive system. Maximum towing capacity is 5500 lb., much more than any front-drive minivan. This brawny powertrain means lots of muscle, and rear-wheel drive means it’s a much better setup for pulling good-sized trailers. We drove an upper-crust Safari SLT.Įngine options for 1995 have been reduced to one: a 4.3-liter V6 rated at 190 hp and 260 pound-feet of torque paired with an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission. It is also available as a cargo model with only two seats. In ascending order, they are SLX, SLE and SLT. There’s been steady refinement since, including a front-end face-lift for ’95, but it’s still basically the same vehicle. In 1985, the Safari was General Motors’ initial hurry-up response to the challenge of the Chrysler minivans. The overall package is still well within the minivan size category, but the appetite for hard work exceeds anything in this class.

But they are robust and rugged, offering a combination of capabilities that most of the smaller, lighter front-drive minivans simply can’t handle. That’s been the ethic since Chrysler invented these versatile station wagon substitutes back in 1984, and Chrysler still owns the segment.īuilt on a truck-style chassis, the Safari and Astro are rear-drive and not very carlike. Maybe it’s because we’ve been conditioned to think of minivans as front-wheel-drive vehicles that behave like cars. But it is surprising that so few think about the GMC Safari or its mechanical twin, the Chevrolet Astro. It probably comes as no surprise that lots of American families are thinking about a new minivan.

Gmc safari